John Flack News

STAGES St. Louis continues the voyage through its 29th season with the tap-happy Broadway classic, Anything Goes. The de-lovely Cole Porter musical comedy from Broadway's Golden Age will run July 17th - August 16th at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood.

The feature length animated film, THE ARISTOCATS (1970), was the last project Walt Disney approved before his death in 1966. My son and I watched it several years ago on DVD, when he was just a little tyke. And then, in 2010 we attended Stages St. Louis' wonderful production of the show. Five years later I was little hesitant to bring him to their latest presentation, just because he's that much older, but I think he actually enjoyed it more the second time around. He's now at an age where he can really appreciate the work that goes into bringing these shows to the stage. He loved the performances and music, and so did I. Stages has put together an excellent show that, obviously, has appeal for kids of all ages (and adults as well), and it's currently gracing the stage of The Westport Playhouse. I think the intimacy of the venue acts to enhance the experience, bringing the audience that much closer to the action.

STAGES St. Louis takes you on a feline adventure in Disney's The Aristocats today, June 3, through June 28 at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights.

STAGES St. Louis takes you on a feline adventure in Disney's The Aristocats this June 3-28 at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights. With an unforgettable mix of colorful characters, amusing antics, and swingin' music, this modern version of the familiar Disney classic is just purrrrrr-fect for the entire family.

Could there be a better way for The New Jewish Theatre to end their "Chai" season than with a sparkling production of MY MOTHER'S LESBIAN JEWISH WICCAN WEDDING, which celebrates the choices we make as individuals in the way we choose to lead our lives? I think not. This is well crafted show that speaks to its audience on many levels (book, music and lyrics by David Hein and Irene Sankoff), covering such touchy subjects as faith, politics, and the genuine love two individuals can have for one another, with heartfelt sentiment and catchy tunes. It's often laugh out loud funny, but it also produced a tear or two, at least for me, all while tackling topics that are front and center in the country we live in, and globally as well. This is a fast-paced delight that should not be missed, with a wonderful cast, terrific direction, and some fine musicianship all on display for your viewing pleasure.

STAGES St. Louis has announced casting for its exhilarating 29th season: Smokey Joe's Cafe, Anything Goes, and The Full Monty. This season's exceptional talent voyages through songs and stories of diverse relationships, the bonds of friendship, and strength found in community. STAGES also announces the cast for its Theatre for Young Audiences production, the purrrrr-fect family classic, Disney's The Aristocats. All season and single tickets are on sale now.

New Line Theatre's production of BONNIE & CLYDE tied with Stages St. Louis' rendition of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING with nine nominations apiece for the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards to lead nominations for all shows produced by local professional theater companies in 2014.

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld St. Louis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld St. Louis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld St. Louis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

STAGES St. Louis is thrilled to announce the opening of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The witty comedy about climbing the corporate ladder (in record time!) will run July 18th through August 17that the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood.

Along with their regular productions each season, Stages St. Louis always presents a show that's part of their Theatre for Young Audiences series. Since I've been reviewing theatre in St. Louis I've made an effort to attend one of these performances (with my son along for the experience) because they're always very well done, and it's important to me that children are exposed to the arts. This year's effort is Disney's SLEEPING BEAUTY, and it continues an excellent tradition of providing families with a lively and fun show that's a genuine treat.

STAGES St. Louis brings to life another beloved Princess in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (today, June 18 - June 29), performed at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School.Disney's classic fairy tale is retold on stage in a magical production full of breathtaking dance and the glorious music of Tchaikovsky, including the beautiful 'Once Upon a Dream.' With charming characters including regal royalty, slimy goons, as well as magical fairies and animal friends, Disney's Sleeping Beauty is a treasured treat guaranteed to enchant audiences!

STAGES St. Louis brings to life another beloved Princess in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (June 18 - June 29), performed at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School.Disney's classic fairy tale is retold on stage in a magical production full of breathtaking dance and the glorious music of Tchaikovsky, including the beautiful 'Once Upon a Dream.' With charming characters including regal royalty, slimy goons, as well as magical fairies and animal friends, Disney's Sleeping Beauty is a treasured treat guaranteed to enchant audiences!

STAGES St. Louis has announced casting for the 2014 'American Dream' season. The multifaceted lineup includes; They're Playing Our Song, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and Fiddler On The Roof. This season's exceptional talent celebrates the realization of the American Dream as explored through unique challenges of seeking fame, amassing monetary success, and cherishing family traditions. STAGES also announces the cast for the Theatre for Young Audiences production of, the classic fairy tale, Disney's Sleeping Beauty. All season and single tickets are on sale now.

I was a bit intrusive to my cast this evening: I went around to each cast member and stuck my voice memo recorder in their face asking them 4 on-the-spot questions about Henry Higgins. It proved to be a funny experiment as my cast mates blurted out some of their answers (I made this a timed experiment, asking each cast member to say the first answer that came to mind). As it turns out, there were a few common answers about where Higgins would live, or which celebrity he resembles. And just the same, there were some "left field" answers which were cause for a chuckle. Here are the questions I asked:

MY FAIR LADY is a venerable warhorse of the stage, and though it used to be performed with a frightening degree of regularity, it's been a while since I've seen it, other than catching the film version on TCM recently. I must say I'm impressed with the current production by Stages St. Louis. It manages to maintain an intimacy that's lost in some of the larger stagings the work has received. In the cozy confines of the Robert G. Reim Auditorium we're able to appreciate the story as well as the staging, and being based on G.B. Shaw's superb play Pygmalion, it's important that that actually come through. It does. Marvelously so. Couple that with the insanely memorable score (book & lyrics Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Lowe) and you have an full evening of wit and charm ahead of you. This is an elegant must-see!

One of the unspoken thrills of theatre is getting ready for each performance. The prep-work involves putting on wigs, applying make-up, zipping up costumes, and (in the case of My Fair Lady) applying facial hair.

Hailed as one of the greatest musicals of all time, My Fair Lady (now through October 6) is the perfect grand finale to the STAGES ST. LOUIS record-breaking 27th season. Christopher Guilmet and Pamela Brumley star as Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, respectively. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the stars in action in the video below!

Hailed as one of the greatest musicals of all time, My Fair Lady (September 6 through October 6) is the perfect grand finale to the STAGES ST. LOUIS record-breaking 27th season. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!